Singer Shoday reveals the quiet anxiety behind his rise, admitting fear of fading relevance once pushed him to consider quitting music entirely.
Success in Afrobeats looks glamorous from the outside. But for singer Shoday, it comes with a fear he’s carried quietly for years: what happens when the songs stop landing?
In a recent sit-down with Wahala Podcast, the rising star pulled back the curtain on something most artists at his level rarely admit out loud, the dread of becoming yesterday’s news.
Shoday explained that his anxiety didn’t come from nowhere. Watching other acts ride a wave of hype only to vanish from the conversation years later left a mark on him. He said he often wakes up wondering if his own moment could disappear just as fast, leaving him to figure out what comes next.
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That fear, he admitted, isn’t occasional. It’s something that sits with him even during good times.
Perhaps the most striking part of his conversation was his admission that he’s seriously considered quitting music altogether. He described stretches where nothing seemed to click, where songs he poured himself into failed to connect, and audience indifference made him question whether the grind was even worth it.
For an artist who’s built a name on TikTok-viral records and steady buzz, that kind of confession is rare. Most public figures guard those moments closely, worried it might dent their image. Shoday chose to say it anyway.
So what stops him from actually walking away? Shoday points to something almost spiritual, a belief that his breakthrough wasn’t luck. To him, blowing up in an industry this competitive is proof he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be, doubts and all.
Nigeria’s music scene moves fast, and staying relevant is arguably harder than breaking through in the first place. Shoday’s honesty shines a light on a pressure many artists face silently, the fear that today’s win doesn’t guarantee tomorrow’s applause.
